Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Melanoma: Critical Assessment at its Twentieth Anniversary

Squamous cell carcinoma: 2021 updated review of treatment

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common cutaneous malignancy, requiring early diagnosis to prevent metastasis. Updated guidelines in the definition of clinical features, diagnostic modalities, grading, staging, surgical, and nonsurgical treatment methods are necessary. Diagnostic methods from biopsy, dermoscopy, and reflectance confocal microscopy have improved to include high-frequency ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, and computed tomography. Non-surgical treatment methods include topical therapy, cryosurgery, photodynamic therapy, and radiation. Surgical treatment methods include surgical excision with margins and Mohs surgery. Clinical trials encourage further research to address the knowledge base of genetic variations and lymph node metastasis.

Outcome following sentinel node biopsy plus wide local excision versus wide local excision only for primary cutaneous melanoma: analysis of 5840 patients treated at a single institution

OBJECTIVE

Worldwide, sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is now a standard staging procedure for most patients with melanomas 1 mm or more in thickness, but its therapeutic benefit is not clear, pending randomized trial results. This study sought to assess the therapeutic benefit of SNB in a large, nonrandomized patient cohort.

METHODS

Patients with primary melanomas 1.00 mm or more thick or with adverse prognostic features treated with wide local excision (WLE) at a single institution between 1992 and 2008 were identified. The outcomes for those who underwent WLE plus SNB (n = 2909) were compared with the outcomes for patients in an observation (OBS) group who had WLE only (n = 2931). Median follow-up was 42 months.

RESULTS

Melanoma-specific survival (MSS) was not significantly different for patients in the SNB and OBS groups. However, a stratified univariate analysis of MSS for different thickness subgroups indicated a significantly better MSS for SNB patients with T2 and T3 melanomas (>1.0 to 4.0 mm thick) (P = 0.011), but this was not independently significant in multivariate analysis. Compared with OBS patients, SNB patients demonstrated improved disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and regional recurrence-free survival (P < 0.001). There was also an improvement in distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) for SNB patients with T2 and T3 melanomas (P = 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the outcome for the overall cohort after WLE alone did not differ significantly from the outcome after additional SNB. However, the outcome for the subgroup of patients with melanomas more than 1.0 to 4.0 mm in thickness was improved if they had a SNB, with significantly improved disease-free and DMFS.

The importance of adequate primary tumor excision margins and sentinel node biopsy in achieving optimal locoregional control for patients with thick primary melanomas

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to investigate the impact of histopathologically measured excision margins and SNB on local and locoregional disease control in patients with primary cutaneous melanomas more than 4 mm thick.

BACKGROUND

Most current guidelines recommend at least a 2-cm surgical margin (which corresponds to a 16-mm histopathologic margin). These guidelines are based on limited evidence, mostly obtained in patients who did not have an SNB.

METHODS

Histopathologic tumor excision margins for clinically lymph node-negative patients with melanomas more than 4 mm thick, treated at Melanoma Institute Australia (1992-2009), were determined. Clinicopathologic predictors of local and locoregional disease-free survival were investigated.

RESULTS

There were 632 patients eligible for the study; of these, 397 (62.8%) had an SNB. The median histopathologic excision margin was 15 mm (interquartile range, 11.0-19.5 mm). After a median follow-up of 37 months, local and locoregional recurrences were observed in 48 (7.6%) and 159 (25.2%) patients, respectively. Excision margin as a continuous variable was a significant predictor of local [hazard ratio (HR), 0.91; P < 0.001) and locoregional (HR, 0.97; P = 0.042) tumor control on multivariate analyses. Patients with histopathologic margins 16 mm or less had worse local disease-free survival (HR, 2.41; P = 0.01). Patients who did not have an SNB were at higher risk of locoregional recurrence (HR, 1.67; P = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Histopathologically determined primary tumor excision margins more than 16 mm, corresponding to 2-cm surgical margins, were associated with better local control in patients with melanomas more than 4 mm thick. Patients achieved the best local and locoregional control when SNB was coupled with a more than 16-mm histologic excision margin.

A collision of diseases: chronic lymphocytic leukemia discovered during lymph node biopsy for melanoma

BACKGROUND

In the United States in 2012, there were 16,060 new cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Often CLL is clinically occult and first detected during pathologic evaluation of the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). We reviewed our experience of patients with the coexisting diagnosis of melanoma and CLL.

METHODS

An institutional review board-approved review was performed on patients with CLL and melanoma treated from 1995 to 2009 at Moffitt Cancer Center and compared with the incidence of melanoma and CLL in our tumor registry patients with breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer.

RESULTS

Fifty-two patients (44 males; median age, 71 years [range, 46-88]) were identified with concurrent diagnoses of melanoma and CLL. Twenty-two patients (42 %) had CLL on SLNB for their melanoma. Thirty-two patients (62 %) were diagnosed with melanoma before CLL. Concomitant or prior cancer diagnoses included nonmelanoma skin cancers (N = 29), prostate (N = 6), colorectal (N = 2), and Merkel cell carcinoma (N = 2). Five of 20 patients (25 %) had metastatic melanoma found at the time of SLNB. Patients with melanoma had a tenfold increase of CLL diagnosis compared with colorectal cancer patients, an eightfold increase compared to prostate cancer patients, and a fourfold increase compared with breast cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS

We have confirmed an increased association of CLL and melanoma. This may be related to an underlying immunologic defect; however, there has been scant investigation into this phenomenon. Surgeons and pathologists should understand this occurrence and recognize that not all grossly enlarged or abnormal sentinel lymph nodes in melanoma patients represent melanoma.

Skin cancers of the hand: a series of 541 malignancies

BACKGROUND

Skin cancers of the hand are uncommon and poorly documented. The objective of this study was to review a large cohort of patients with hand skin malignancies to determine tumor characteristics, management techniques, and outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective review of consecutive patients with surgically excised primary cutaneous hand malignancies at the John Radcliffe Hospital between 1993 and 2010 was performed. Records were reviewed to determine tumor characteristics, demographics, and management details. Outcome parameters included margins and completeness of excision, recurrence, metastatic spread, and survival.

RESULTS

A total of 407 patients (65.8 percent male; mean age, 72.2 ± 0.7 yr) presented with 541 primary cutaneous hand malignancies and were followed up for a mean period of 24 months. Half the cohort had previous skin cancers and almost one in five developed further hand skin cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma comprised 78.0 percent, basal cell carcinoma 11.3 percent, and melanoma 3.9 percent of cases. Incidence was highest on the dorsum of the hand. Surgical margins were proportionate to tumor size, and most defects required soft-tissue reconstruction. Recurrence was uncommon in melanoma and rare in squamous and basal cell carcinomas. Lymph node metastasis and death were rare in patients with squamous cell carcinoma but relatively common in those with melanoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Squamous cell carcinomas are the most common skin malignancy of the hand, frequently require soft-tissue reconstruction, and those occurring in the web spaces or on the dorsum of the proximal phalanges are more sinister malignancies with a greater propensity for metastatic spread.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Risk, IV.

Surgeons' opinions on lymphadenectomy in melanoma patients with positive sentinel nodes: a worldwide web-based survey

PURPOSE

A worldwide web-based survey was conducted among melanoma surgeons to investigate opinions about completion lymph node dissection (CLND) in patients with positive sentinel nodes (SN).

METHODS

A questionnaire was designed following input from a group of melanoma surgeons. Cognitive interviews and pilot testing were performed. Surgeons identified through a systematic-review of the SN and CLND literature were invited by email.

RESULTS

Of 337 surgeons, 193 (57.2 %) from 25 countries responded (January-July 2011). Most respondents work in melanoma (30.1 %) and surgical oncology (44.6 %) units. In patients with a positive SN, 169 (91.8 %) recommend CLND; the strength of the recommendation is mostly influenced by patient comorbidities (64.7 %) and SN tumor burden (59.2 %). Seventy-one responders enroll patients in the second Multicenter Selective-Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT-2), and 64 of them (76 %) suggest entering the trial to majority of patients. In cases requiring neck CLND, level 1-5 dissection is recommended by 35 % of responders, whereas 62 % base the extent of dissection on primary site and lymphatic mapping patterns. Only inguinal dissection or ilioinguinal dissection is performed by 36 and 30 % of surgeons, respectively. The remaining 34 % select either procedure according to number of positive SNs, node of Cloquet status, and lymphatic drainage patterns. Most surgeons (81 %) perform full axillary dissections in positive SN cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of melanoma surgeons recommend CLND in SN-positive patients. Surgeons participating in the MSLT-2 suggest entering the trial to the majority of patients. More evidence is needed to standardize the extent of neck and groin CLND surgeries.

Indocyanine green fluorescence-guided sentinel lymph node biopsy in dermato-oncology

BACKGROUND

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for cutaneous malignancies usually carried out with radioactive nanocolloids (Tc-99m). The SLNE is controversially discussed internationally. This is especially given to the high false-negative rate up to 44 %. An alternative could be the fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We investigated the advantage of intraoperative fluorescence detection of lymphatic vessels and SLN with a Near-Infrared (NIR) camera in comparison to conventional methods using preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT/CT in 22 patients with malignant melanoma.

RESULTS

A total of 61 SLNs were removed in 22 operative procedures. In 7 SLN (10.3 %; 7/68) the histopathological assessment could demonstrate a metasta-tic involvement. 11 additional SLN (19.1 %) in 8 patients were only identified using the fluorescent labeling. Two of these additional SLN (9.1 %; 2/22) showed metastatic involvement.

CONCLUSION

The ICG fluorescence-guided SLNB is an innovative imaging technique for dermato-oncology, reliable and providing additional information in the detection of SLN. Therefore SLNB with fluorescence-dye is an attractive option with intraoperative real-time lymphoscintigraphy to improve the detection of SLN in cutaneous malignancies and potential reduction of the false negative rate in SLN.

Melanoma update: diagnostic and prognostic factors that can effectively shape and personalize management

Routine light microscopy remains a powerful tool to diagnose, stage and prognose melanoma. Although it is very economical and efficient, it requires a significant level of expertise and, in difficult cases the final diagnosis is affected by subjective interpretation. Fortunately, new insights into the genomic aberrations characteristic of melanoma, coupled with ancillary studies, are further refining evaluation and management allowing for more confident diagnosis, more accurate staging and the selection of targeted therapy. In this article, we review the standard of care and new updates including four probe FISH, the 2009 American Joint Commission on Cancer staging of melanoma and mutant testing of melanoma, which will be crucial for targeted therapy of metastatic melanoma.